Police confiscate drink from teens

Officers had to disperse groups of up to 40 teenagers who had gathered in Memorial Gardens, Lammas Park and Moor Mead Park in the early evening of Friday June 20.

Police confiscated a 'large amount' of beer and alcopops from pupils they identified as being from Matthew Arnold School in Staines and Magna Carta School in Egham Hythe.

Staines Town beat bobby PC James Vernon issued six stop and account forms to children who were carrying alcohol and have now had letters sent home to their parents.

PC Vernon, who said he had a 'busy night' moving groups of children on, added: "In the past month we have sent numerous letters to parents of children drinking and misbehaving in the area and

last Friday we had large numbers of kids gathering in Memorial Gardens and Lammas Park.

"Last weekend there were problems with antisocial behaviour because it was the last day of school.

"There were a phenomenal number of kids all out dressed up in their uniforms with messages written on their shirts."

PC Vernon lectured one girl who had a four-letter expletive written in large letters on her leg and said: "I had to spend some time educating her because she didn't

realise that was actually a criminal offence.

"Some kids don't realise that antisocial behaviour is an offence."

Head teacher of Matthew Arnold, Jackie Pearson, said the school had not received any complaint from police about the incidents.

She added: "We have good links with the police. We go to great lengths to make sure our children understand their responsibility to the community and themselves."

Magna Carta school refused to comment on the incident.